The protests in Iran have already caused at least 65 deaths, in addition to 2,311 arrests, since their inception on December 28, according to the latest data from the news agency Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The protests, which had an economic trigger, with the population suffering from the inability to purchase basic items, due to the rapid devaluation of the rial and high inflation, intensified following an almost total cut of internet and telephone services promoted by the Iranian government – a digital blackout characteristic of moments of crisis in the country and that remains active.
Large demonstrations took place in Tehran, Mashhad, Fardis and other cities, some of the largest registered in recent years and, according to international agencies, there is a large underreporting of deaths. According to Time Magazine, alone in Tehran, 217 people died.
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Read more: Protests shake Iran and the country experiences a “Berlin Wall moment”; understand the situation
So far, Iranian authorities have not released an official toll of deaths among protesters and security forces.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah and opposition leader, called on the protesters to return to the streets after 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, stating that the objective is not merely to protest, but to seize and control the centers of the cities. Pahlavi also called for a nationwide strike by workers in the oil, gas and transport sectors, and said he was preparing to return to Iran.
Negotiations
Amid the escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran, prompted by how the country has dealt with the protests, Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Albusaidi, arrived in Tehran on Saturday, according to Iranian media.
It is worth noting that, in 2025, Oman acted as a mediator in five rounds of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, interrupted after attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran in June.
On Friday (the 9th), leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Germany also urged the Iranian government to act with moderation and to respect the fundamental rights of Iranians.
